The Vocational Nursing Program is a certificate program, offering college credit, which includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical learning experiences. The program is designed to prepare the graduate to provide nursing care in structured health care settings for clients of all ages who have well defined health problems with predictable outcomes. Emphasis is placed on the ability to make sound judgments based on critical thinking skills, the knowledge of scientific principles and the ability to utilize technical skills in a variety of settings. Graduates are eligible to apply to take the national licensure examination to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). The Texas Board of Nursing determines eligibility for licensure. Applicants for licensure must provide necessary information regarding any drug, alcohol, psychiatric and/or conviction history for determination of licensure eligibility. The program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (333 Guadalupe Street Suite 3-460, Austin, TX 78701; telephone (512) 305-7400 and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, Georgia 30326; (404) 975-5000; www.nlnac.org).

Admission criteria have been established and enrollment is limited. Admission to the College does not guarantee admission to the Vocational Nursing Program. All courses must be taken in the following sequence. Students must be accepted into the program prior to enrolling for any VNSG course. Admission criteria may be obtained from the Vocational Nursing Office. Immunizations must be completed prior to submitting an application. CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers course must be acquired prior to enrollment and maintained throughout the Vocational Nursing Program. Students accepted into the program are required to have a physical examination by their own private physician prior to enrollment and must verify annual tuberculosis status.

In order to meet requirements of clinical agencies, criminal background checks and drug screenings for all Health Sciences students are now required as part of the admissions process.

Program changes may not be reflected in the current ACC Catalog publication. Please access the most up to date information on the program's web page at www.austincc.edu/health/ or by contacting the Health Sciences Admissions Offices at Eastview Campus, Room 8356 or Round Rock Campus, Room 3105.